Right wing icon voted greatest Dutchman

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Slain right wing politician Pim Fortuyn has been voted the greatest Dutchman of all time by television viewers in the Netherlands.

Fortuyn, leader of the right-wing List party, was killed in 2002 by an animal rights activist five days before the Dutch general elections. Running on an anti-immigration ticket, the party was poised to win enough parliamentary seats to become a significant political force in the country.

The controversial politician, who advocated repeal of anti-discrimination clauses from the Dutch constitution, beat William of Orange, the 17th century founder of the modern Netherlands, into second place in the KRO television poll.

Journalist Yoeri Albrecht, who championed Fortuyn in the poll, said the results reflected current realities in Holland, according to the BBC.

The country has seen a wave of anti-Islamic violence since the killing of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh in Amsterdam on Nov. 2.

Van Gogh, who was shot by a Dutch Morrocan Muslim, had recently made a controversial documentary film which criticised the treatment of women in Islam.

Nine suspects said to be Islamic extremists were arrested in the killing.

Nov. 8, a Muslim school in the southern city of Eindhoven was bombed, possibly in retaliation.